Myrthe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine first name of Dutch origin, a variant of Myrtle derived from the myrtle plant
2. Used as a girl's given name in the Netherlands and Belgium, related to the evergreen shrub myrtle
3. A Dutch feminine personal name borrowed from the Greek word for the fragrant myrtle shrub

Etymology: "Myrthe" is an older spelling of "mirth," and the noun began as a description of a pleasant condition. In Old English, "myrge" meant pleasant or agreeable. Adding the abstract-noun suffix "-þ" produced "myrgþ," a state of being pleasing, which later became "mirth." The word's meaning narrowed over time. Its original sense was broad, and it gradually came to centre on gladness and laughter. Its sibling "merry" stayed closer to the original adjective, so the two words are branches of one Old English root that went in different directions.